Tomorrow

Today turned out to be quite tiring. I had to attend a tutorial on how to kill an elf. Who knew that an elf could sense any movement around it within a ten-meter radius? Because of this little detail, I have to locate a tree far enough to stay out of reach of the elf, and near enough that my arrow has the maximum speed to pierce through the elf's heart. There is apparently no other way to kill an elf, other than driving an object through their heart. Now, if I miss, and the elf spots me, I'm done for. But if I actually succeed, there will be one less elf on the planet. I have been informed that eradicating the elf population is not only a necessity but a rite of passage for faeries, such as myself. Tomorrow, I have to demonstrate my skills in the wild.

No more trials, no more mistakes. If I miss, I die. If I hit, I am the worthy leader. The people cannot, or rather, will not trust a leader who can't even kill a mere elf. But there are very few people who actually can. I need to be one of them because my life very much depends on it. If I don't come back from the jungle by seven in the evening tomorrow, I will be considered dead. Because by seven, any hint of sunlight will have vanished. Even if I succeed in my mission, I won't be able to find my way back home. If I try to move in the darkness, I'm sure to be eaten alive by the cardonils, who have night vision, unfortunately. My mother will be informed of my death in a simple letter because no one cares about the girl who couldn't kill an elf. I don't blame them. If I couldn't protect myself when my life depended on it, how could I protect my clan when theirs might? So tomorrow might be my last living day, and the fact that it is completely in my hands to survive longer is not the most comforting thought, for some reason.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of birds chirping merrily. The sounds of the world did not fit my plans for the day, but I was grateful for it, nonetheless, for this could be the last time I would hear it. As I strapped my arrows in, my mother stood, looking at me with a faint smile of someone salvaging a moment to remember forever. I understood her need to remember her daughter's face as she proceeded to prove her worth by fighting for her life, but I walked out the door without a word. I couldn't afford to look at her forlorn face as she mourned my death in front of my eyes. I was also getting late. I passed a few villagers on my way to the jungle. It was public knowledge what I would be doing today, but no one stopped me for a word. They probably didn't bother to look at me as I looked like any other person on the street at any time of the day. 

As I entered the woods, all sounds from the village went quiet. An elf always roamed the woods, either in search of food, or a place to rest. The trick to getting near one was to stay at one place, because they never did. I picked a big mango tree with ample leaves to cover myself. This tree was capable of both food and shelter, and a sure location to spot an elf. All I had to do was be patient. Before long, I saw a figure moving swiftly between the trees. It was quick, but I could keep a track of its movements.

Then, it stopped moving. It stood in place, skeptically staring at the tree I was residing in. It walked closer to the tree, and kept staring upwards. 'That's it', I thought. 'Kill it, now's your chance.' But I waited longer. A gut feeling told me to hold my fire. The elf crept closer still, and I had a clear shot of its tiny little head. I released my bow. It hit it in the eye. Shoot! I readied another arrow and aimed at its heart. It was stumbling, but not running away. I released the bow, and hit it in the chest. It was paralysed, with shock and then with fear. It stared down at its heart, and fell on its knees. A few seconds later, it completely stopped moving and lay still on the ground; one eye open, one eye with an arrow passing through it.

'I've done it. I killed an elf. Now I'll be the new leader.'